Vacation Bible School 2019

We understand Vacation Bible School is a major event in your church and that it is one of the greatest opportunities for outreach for all people, especially children and preschools. Even in our high tech environment, VBS continues to be one of the most fruitful special events in terms of both finding prospects and leading them to the Lord. We are here to help as you plan VBS 2019 in your church!

Imagine leaving a life of privilege and power to face angry mobs, painful imprisonment, and chain-breaking earthquakes — all to spread the life-changing truth of God’s love. Learn the jaw-dropping story of the Apostle Paul...straight from Paul himself! In an ancient “anything goes” culture, Paul will inspire kids to share the truth of God’s immeasurable love today!

Blast off with the first VBS to land on Mars! Cokesbury’s To Mars and Beyond will help kids discover the wonders of God’s universe. They’ll become Voyagers on a journey through space, exploring where God’s power can take them.

WHOOOSH: Take Flight to Where God Leads You! is the 2019 Abingdon Press VBS! Participants will be encouraged to allow God to lead them as they journey to places of freedom, fun, and opportunity, remembering God’s miracles as they go.

Lift off for an intergalactic adventure with Miraculous Mission: Jesus Saves the World, the 2019 VBS program from Concordia Publishing. Explore God’s miraculous mission and learn about His plan of salvation from creation to the cross!

Does the responsibility for organizing your church’s summer Vacation Bible School program fall on your shoulders? If this is your first year of and you have no idea where to begin, or maybe you have lots of experience and look forward to checking out the new 2019 VBS programs – we’ve got what you're looking for with information and samples for each 2019 VBS Program, along with an online Easy Order Form of all products for each 2019 VBS Program and a general planning overview.

Compare the various programs by looking at samples, videos and other information in our 2019 VBS Program Overview here. Program Overview

Use the "Easy Order Form" links above to access our VBS Program product lists for Easy Ordering. Access our general overview we put together to help you create an outline for your planning schedule this year. General Planning Overview

2019 VBS Program Overviews

The Vacation Bible School publishers have released their new VBS curriculum and we’d like to help you choose the best VBS for your needs. Beyond all the information offered here on our website, we would be glad to assist you personally with any additional questions you may have. Call or visit us in store today!

Key Verse: "The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made." (Psalm 145:90)

Day 2

Bible Point: God loves us and takes care of us.

Bible Story: Paul and Silas are put in prison.. (Acts 17:1-9)

Key Verse: "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

Day 3

Bible Point: God loves us when others don’t!

Bible Story: An angry mob searches for Paul and Silas (Acts 17: 1-9)

Key Verse: "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 118:6)

Day 4

Bible Point: God loves us and sent his son, Jesus.

Bible Story: Paul preaches about Jesus. (Acts 17: 16-34)

Key Verse: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Day 5

Bible Point: God loves us and wants us to share his love.

Bible Story: Paul continues his journey (Acts 18:1-5)

Key Verse: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." (John 13:34)

Athens Ultimate Director Go-To Guide®Contains everything you need to plan a successful program, recruit and train volunteers, publicize your program, and follow up with families after the big event.

Leader ManualsProvide easy instructions for specific roles at your Athens VBS. Each manual includes an overview of each day’s Bible content, historical backgrounds, step-by-step directions for each activity, and guided discussion question.

Helpful DVDs & CDsFeature training resources, clip art and marketing tools that make it easy to inspire and educate your church body. The Decorating Places DVD gives you detailed instructions to create your Athens setting—and the Celebration Music CD will have your kids in celebration mode all week long.

Student ResourcesIncluding Bible Memory Makers and Marketplace samples, to keep kids talking about Athens throughout their VBS experience and long after they leave your church event.

Athens CatalogPacked with tons of resources to help you make Athens an easy-to-plan and unforgettable VBS event.

Roar

By: Group Publishing

Make your VBS the mane event! This epic African adventure engages the whole herd. At Roar, kids explore God’s goodness and celebrate a ferocious faith that powers them through this wild life. Charge into planning with theUltimate Starter Kit including the Ultimate Director Go-To Guide and Leader Manuals providing step-by-step instructions. Plus, you’ll get student resource samples, volunteer resources, a Roar catalog packed with program products, and essential media tools.

Key Verse: "Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious." (Nehemiah 4:14)

Roar Ultimate Director Go-To Guide®Contains everything you need to plan a successful program, recruit and train volunteers, publicize your program, and follow up with families after the big event.

Station Leader ManualsProvide easy instructions for specific roles at your Roar VBS. Each manual includes an overview of each day’s Bible content, historical backgrounds, step-by-step directions for each activity, and guided discussion questions.

Helpful DVDs and CDsFeature training resources, clip art and marketing tools that make it easy to inspire and educate your church body. The Decorating Places DVD gives you detailed instructions to create your Roar setting—and the Sing & Play CD will have your kids in celebration mode all week long.

Student ResourcesThe ALL-NEW Bible Memory Buddies, Student Take-Home (TBD) and Imagination Station samples, will keep kids talking about Roar throughout their VBS experience and long after they leave your church event.

Roar CatalogPacked with tons of resources to help you make Roar an easy-to-plan, Bible-rich, unforgettable VBS event.

Yee Haw Weekend

By: Group Publishing

Create a stampede of fun at VBS this summer! Saddle up for a trailblazing weekend of fun! Kids’ll kick up their heels at Yee-Haw VBS as they stampede through the wild frontier and celebrate God’s greatest gift of all—Jesus!

To Mars And Beyond

By: Cokesbury

Blast off with the first VBS to land on Mars! Cokesbury’s To Mars and Beyond will help kids discover the wonders of God’s universe. They’ll become Voyagers on a journey through space, exploring where God’s power can take them.

Theme Bible Verse: "Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us." — Ephesians 3:20, CEB

Session 1

Go Beyond with Faith! Daniel Trusts God in the Lions’ Den (Daniel 6)

Session 2

Go Beyond with Boldness! Queen Ester Takes a Stand (Esther 4-9)

Session 3

Go Beyond with Kindness! The Good Samaritan Helps a Fellow Traveler (Luke 10:25-37)

Session 4

Go Beyond with Thankfulness! Jesus Heals 10 Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)

Session 5

Go Beyond with Hope! Jesus Comforts Friends on the Way to Emmaus (Matthew 24:13-35)

Whooosh

By: Abingdon Press

WHOOOSH: Take Flight to Where God Leads You! is the 2019 Abingdon Press VBS! This program celebrates how throughout the Bible, monuments are built to remember what God has done in the lives of God’s people, from angels that go up and down a ladder—WHOOOSH—to a river whose water stands up—WHOOOSH—to let God’s people cross over on dry land! Guided by six Church Kids, who by faith, take flight—WHOOOSH—on Holy Spirit-powered bicycles, participants will move across country, starting with the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., to experience God’s power, presence, and steadfast love, through pick-up games, spontaneous shows and interactive art, music and craft activities.

Memory Verse: "Now you are coming to him as a living stone." (1 Peter 2:4)

Miraculous Mission

By: Concordia Publishing House

The all-inclusive 2019 VBS Starter Kit includes materials for 6 rotational sites, sample crafts, and student essentials. It also provides music videos and scores, lesson and decorating posters, and access to the VBSMate online registration tool.

Memory Verse: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)

Session 4

Bible Lesson: Jesus the Savior Is Risen (Matthew 27:27-28:10)

Memory Verse: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Session 5

Bible Lesson: Jesus the Savior Reigns (Acts 1:1-11; Luke 24:44-53)

Memory Verse: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

General Planning Overview

If this is your first year coordinating your Vacation Bible School Program, CONGRATULATIONS! You've got many of tasks ahead of you but the reward at the end will be more than worth it.

We have put together a general overview to help you create an outline for your planning schedule this year. Remember that you were specially chosen to play this role and we know you can do it!

VBS Planning Outline & Timeline

6-9 Months before your VBS is the time to start putting Vacation Bible School on your radar. You will want to establish the foundations of your program. Also consider including Preschoolers (2-5 year olds) in your VBS. You may want to run a separate preschool program for your little ones (same hours). The preschoolers can join the other children for your opening and then the younger children can have their own learning centers, games and age-appropriate crafts for the rest of the morning.

Begin praying for your VBS program. You may want to organize a prayer team.

Choose your dates and time for you VBS. Put them on the church calendar early.

Choose a VBS Director.

Choose a VBS Theme and Purchase your VBS Starter kit so you can begin planning.

Several Months (3-6) before your VBS get your VBS leadership team together to estimate your attendance and set dates for the program. Go ahead and publicize the dates to your congregation and to our bookstore so you can get plenty of volunteers and find out how to get the word out in the community. At this point start looking at what materials you will need for your VBS program and order your VBS materials before they are sold out, they do go quickly. Having your team brainstorm together now helps you understand which things that will need longer preparation time, put together and distribute teacher materials and begin compiling registration lists.

Set a budget for your VBS program

Recruit key leaders – Music, Snacks, Games, Bible story teacher.

Plan publicity for your VBS – community outreach could include signage, door to door flyers, radio spots.

Put together a list of supplies you'll need.

Order all of your publicity, decorating, leaders manuals and teaching supplies.

Setting Goals: Staff should give thought to establishing the goals of the VBS program:

What objectives should be met for the program to be considered successful?

Who do you expect to participate — children at what ages; youth; family units?

Is God calling you to reach out in new ways to a new segment of the community?

Are you planning a week to enrich the church children's understanding of the Bible? Or is it to reach out to new people in and fun and inspiring way?

Is the program to be an outreach to the community?

A couple of months (2-3) before your VBS you will want to start distributing registration forms, create daily schedules for VBS Week, start your publicity to the congregation and community, fill all the teaching staff positions and start training your team! Make sure you have the contact information – phone numbers, email addresses and names – of the people that will be teaching and anyone who volunteers to create things.

Plan and schedule a VBS staff training meeting to be held 4-6 weeks prior to VBS.

Begin recruiting additional leaders and support staff.

Explore your church facilities to determine what areas you will need.

Estimate your VBS enrollment. Use figures from Sunday school or last year’s VBS.

Order student supplies if you have not already done so.

As you Recruit, look for leaders and teachers with the following qualifications:

Dedicated Christians who seek to live for Christ daily, who study God's word, and who know the plan of salvation – suitable role models for children

People tuned in to kids, able to build upon their natural interests and who will enjoy sharing in the children's joy of discovery

Warm, outgoing, having a genuine love and sensitivity for children, understanding them in terms of their physical, mental, and emotional development, and their spiritual needs

One who will appreciate and seek to follow God's command to teach children, demonstrating this by being reliable and disciplined to prepare for each day of VBS

About a month (4-6 weeks) before your VBS continue to maintain your list of registered students and stay alert to any staffing adjustments needed as you finish up the details of the schedule for your VBS Week. Follow-up with any items you have outstanding and touch base with your VBS teachers to make sure they have what they need for that week.

Begin pre-registration.

Hold the scheduled VBS staff training meeting.

Meet with key leaders.

Check your registration weekly and order any extra supplies you may need. Remember these item sell out fast.

One week before VBS will begin your final setup up before the big event – decorations, registration tables, signs, sorting craft and game supplies to the right rooms. Now you should run a check of student count versus your materials. Remember you will have last minute people show up. Provide teachers with current information about their classes including rosters and prepare any packets you will provide to the parents. Assign a place and time for all VBS staff to meet prior to each session for prayer.

The Day before your VBS begins run a final check of supplies (are the pencils sharpened?) and rooms. Then take a breath and start praying for all the kids, families and volunteers that will be involved with your VBS this week.

First Day of VBS make sure you arrive early — take time for more prayer with your teams and even in the stress remember to celebrate the opportunities to witness. Especially early in the week, watch for rough spots needing adjustment the next day and after the children leave, brief staff meeting to catch loose ends. And don't forget to take lots of pictures! Each day, continue to pray for God to move in the hearts of your children. Things that should be modified for next year, make note of in a place you will remember to pass it on the next year. And remember to have fun!

After you wrap up Evaluation: It's a good idea to collect evaluations and suggestions from the staff for future kids events at the church. Before your VBS ends, Have thank you notes and evaluation forms ready for your helpers. Make sure you display photographs for congregation and get a list to the Kids Church teachers, especially for families that came and are not already affiliated with the church so they can remember them when they show up for regular services. Be sure to let your volunteers know how much they helped to make VBS 2019 the best ever. While they're still excited about the great things that happened during VBS, ask if they would be willing to consider being a part of the team next year. (Just to get an idea, not for a firm commitment.) Then follow up just as soon as you set the next date to have them start praying about volunteering for your next VBS program.

If you need help, we have a great staff ready to serve you both online and in the store. You can find other supplies, like prices for games or attendance and Bibles for new believers in our stores as well.